In the process of shipping an item from one location to another, a protective packaging material is typically placed in the shipping case, or box to fill any voids and/or to cushion the item during the shipping process. Some conventional commonly used protective packaging materials are plastic foam peanuts and plastic bubble pack. While these conventional plastic materials seem to adequately perform as cushioning products, they are not without disadvantages. Perhaps the most serious drawback of plastic bubble wrap and/or plastic foam peanuts is their effect on our environment. Quite simply, these plastic packaging materials are not biodegradable and thus they cannot avoid further multiplying our planet's already critical waste disposal problems. The non-biodegradability of these packaging materials has become increasingly important in light of many industries adopting more progressive policies in terms of environmental responsibility.
These and other disadvantages of conventional plastic packaging materials has made paper protective packaging material a very popular alternative. Paper is biodegradable, recyclable and renewable; making it an environmentally responsible choice for conscientious industries. While paper in sheet form could possibly be used as a protective packaging material, it is usually preferable to convert the sheets of paper into a relatively low density pad-like cushioning dunnage product. This conversion may be accomplished by a cushioning conversion machine, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,899. This patent is assigned to the assignee of the present application and discloses a cushioning conversion machine which converts sheet-like stock material, such as paper in multi-ply form, into low density cushioning products or pads. The entire disclosure of this patent is hereby incorporated by reference.
A cushioning conversion machine (including the machine disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,123,899) will usually comprise a conversion assembly (including a forming assembly, a feeding assembly, and a cutting assembly) and a stock supply assembly. During operation of the cushioning conversion machine, the stock supply assembly supplies the stock material to the forming assembly. The forming assembly causes inward rolling of the lateral edges of the sheet-like stock material to form a continuous strip having lateral pillow-like portions. The feeding assembly pulls the stock material through the machine and also connects (or coins) the central band of the continuous strip to form a connected strip. The connected strip travels downstream to the cutting assembly which cuts the coined strip into products or pads of a desired length. The machine may also include a post-cutting assembly, through which the cut pads travel.
In the above-referenced patent, the stock supply assembly includes two U-shaped brackets each having lower legs with slots. A rod is extended through the stock roll and the ends of the rod are supported within these slots of the stock supply assembly. Alternatively, the rod is supported within similar rod supporting slots on a separate stock cart. In either case, the stock roll freely rotates about the rod as the stock material is pulled through the forming assembly by the feeding assembly. As an alternative to such free rotation of the stock roll, this and other cushioning conversion machines may incorporate a powered infeeding assembly which feeds the stock material at a controlled tension to the stock supply assembly.
The transfer of the cushioning product or pad away from the machine's outlet may be accomplished by gravity and/or by the approaching coined strip urging the cut pad away from the machine. Alternatively, a pad-transferring assembly may be incorporated into a cushioning conversion machine which provides a positive, mechanical means (such as a powered conveying unit) for transferring cut pads away from the machine. A pad-transferring assembly is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/796,177, filed on Feb. 7, 1997, entitled AUTOMATED CUSHIONING PRODUCING AND FILLING SYSTEM, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The control of the machine's conversion assemblies (more specifically the activation/deactivation of its feeding assembly and/or of its cutting assembly), or the mode of operation of the machine, may be manual or automatic. A cushioning conversion machine may be manufactured to operate in one particular mode of operation. Alternatively, a machine controller may be incorporated into a cushioning conversion machine which allow operation in a selected one of a plurality of modes of operation. A suitable machine controller is disclosed in International Patent Application No. PCT/US95/09275 to Ranpak Corp. (the assignee of the present application) filed on Jul. 21, 1995 published as No 96/03274 and entitled CUSHIONING CONVERSION MACHINE. The entire disclosure of this international application is hereby incorporated by reference.
In the automatic mode of operations, the feeding assembly and/or the cutting assembly are automatically activated/deactivated to produce pads of the desired length. For example, in certain automatic modes of operation, upon receipt of an appropriate "start" signal, the feeding assembly is activated for a period of time required to produce the desired length of dunnage strip, the feeding assembly is then deactivated and the cutting assembly activated to cut the dunnage strip to produce the desired cushioning pad. In one automatic mode of operation, the feeding assembly is then automatically re-activated for the same period of time and the cycle is repeated until an appropriate "stop" signal is received whereby a multitude of pads of the same length will be produced for each "start" signal. (The "stop" signal may be generated by the pushing of a "stop" button on the machine or may be automatically generated by an appropriately placed sensor or a counter.) In another automatic mode of operation, the feeding assembly remains deactivated until receipt of another "start" signal and thus one pad is produced for each "start" signal.
In the above-described cushioning conversion machine (and, in fact, in most cushioning conversion machines) the cushioning pads are discharged to a transitional zone, and then, at the appropriate time, inserted into a container for cushioning purposes. For example, temporary receptacles (i.e., bins) have been placed adjacent to the machine's outlet so that the cushioning pads can be discharged therein to form a pile. At the appropriate time, the packaging person would bend over to reach into the transitional receptacle, retrieve a cushioning pad from the accumulated pile, return to his/her workstation and then insert the cushioning pad in the container.
Additionally, tables having horizontal work platforms have been employed as transitional zones. Specifically, the table is positioned relative to the cushioning conversion machine so that the cushioning pads are deposited on the horizontal work platform. When a packaging need arises, the packaging person picks up the cushioning pad from the work platform and then, if the platform also functions as a packaging surface, immediately inserts the cushioning pad in the container.
Further, horizontal conveyor belts have been used as transitional zones for cushioning conversion machines. Specifically, the cushioning conversion machine is positioned to deposit the cushioning pads on the conveyor belt which then moves the pad in a certain conveying direction. Packaging personnel (perhaps at a remote location on the conveyor belt) then pick up a cushioning pad from those accumulated on the conveyor belt and insert the cushioning pad in the containers being packaged.
Still further, slides have been used as transitional zones for cushioning conversion machines. Specifically, a slide is positioned so that its upper end is adjacent the machine's outlet whereby the discharged cushioning pads are deposited thereon and then travel down the length of the slide. In certain slides, the cushioning pads are stacked end-to-end; in other slides, the cushioning pads are stacked side-to-side. In either case, the bottom pad would be removed and used for cushioning purposes.
These and other transitional zones have all performed quite successfully in a variety of cushioning conversion systems and they are expected to continue to do so in the future. However, a temporary receptacle (Le., a bin) requires a packaging person to bend over to retrieve a cushioning pad. While a transitional horizontal surface in the form of a table may eliminate the need to bend over, the pads will be accumulated in a pile and may even fall from the table's surface if too many pads are produced. Moreover, the accumulation of the pads on the table decreases valuable packaging work space. Regarding the accumulation of pads on a conveyor belt, this substantially increases a system's footprint since the pads are necessarily arranged end-to-end in a horizontal manner. Regarding slides, their sloped nature may make it difficult for them to double as a packaging surface thereby requiring a separate (and space consuming) packaging surface which substantially increases the system's footprint.